
Ivo Steyaert and Merijn Geerts just made backyard ultra history for the third time together, running 124 yards and 516.7 miles each at the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Team Championships before making the decision to stop side by side.
Garrett and Tanner sit down with the two Belgian world record holders to hear what happened over five days and four hours, how they broke Phil Gore's previous world record of 119 yards, and why they ultimately chose to stop at 124 when both believed they might have been capable of going farther.
For the final 38 hours, Ivo and Merijn were the only two runners left in the world. They describe calling out to wake each other up, looking back to make sure the other was still moving, and the responsibility they felt to keep each other in the race. Their partnership has been years in the making, including an extraordinary moment during the 2024 championships when Merijn turned back into the forest to find a disoriented Ivo and help him make it back before the next bell.
That same commitment to one another extends throughout Team Belgium. Every runner stayed until the very end, even after their own races were over. Ivo and Merijn explain how years of shared training, meticulous preparation, and a remarkable support system have created something much bigger than a collection of talented athletes. What stands out isn't simply how far these two men can run, but how much of their success is built around helping the people beside them go farther too.
The conversation also covers:
Why the first 24 to 48 hours can be surprisingly difficult even for runners capable of going more than 500 miles, and how both men deal with the mental weight of knowing how much farther they still intend to go
Ivo's determination to conquer the fifth night after difficult experiences in 2024 and 2025, and why he believes mentally preparing for that specific challenge made a difference this time
How they survived five nights with only minutes of sleep at a time, including moments of falling asleep on the course, and the different strategies they use to keep themselves moving
Merijn's remarkable 219-hour race plan, why he continues refining it after every backyard, and his belief that setting a finish line in your mind can become the very thing that limits how far you go
The conversations that led them to stop at 124 yards instead of chasing 130 or beyond, including why they wanted to leave no doubt about the record and why finishing together mattered more than pushing the number higher
Merijn's vision for the future of backyard ultrarunning, including a governing body, clearer rules, and a World Team Championship featuring 15 men and 15 women from each country to give female athletes the recognition and opportunities they deserve
Beyond the record, Ivo and Merijn share what it means to represent Belgium and how their performance gave people across their country something positive to rally around. Merijn admits he is still disappointed they didn't win the team championship, but both recognize that what happened over those five days meant something much bigger to the people following along.
Three shared world records. Thousands of miles together. And a friendship built on the understanding that sometimes the best way to discover your own limits is to help someone else reach theirs.
If you want backyard ultrarunning covered like its own sport, not an afterthought inside the larger ultra world, you're in the right place.
#BackyardUltra #IvoSteyaert #MerijnGeerts
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